Suction cleaner



Sept. 2, 1941. R. C. OSBORN SUCTION CLEANER Fiied Dec. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR w a. 0 M1 0 8Y5 ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 1941. T Q OSBORN I 2,254,663

I SUCTION CLEANER Filgd Dec. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W Ralph 6. 08.6017:

Patented Sept. 2 1941 sucrron cLnman Ralph C. Osborn, North Canton, Ohio, ass'ignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton,

corporation of Ohio Ohio, a-

Application December 21, 1940, SerialNo. 371,119

7 Claims. (Ci. 15-9) This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners, and more particularly to suction cleaners adapted for conversion to oil-thefioor cleaning operations by the attachment of a dusting tool hose.

Conversion is a convenient term to describe the operation of arranging a cleaner for operation with dusting tools and similarly, "converter identifies the parts associated with .the conversion operation. This terminology willbe adopted in describing the novel features of the present the manner in which the converter member actuates the release lever-to depress the spring latch and release the port closure member;

disclosure which has to do with a novel type of closure for the port into which a converter tool or fitting is inserted as the initial step in completing the conversion. I

In earlier types of suction cleaners, conversion was performed by attaching a converter fitting to the underside of the cleaner casing and, in

more recent designs, a laterally opening converter port has been provided along one side of the casing thereby eliminating the necessity of lifting or turning the cleaner over inorder to complete the converting operation. But in the type of cleaner herein disclosed, it is now proposed to provide a converter port on top of the cleaner casing and while it is at once obviousthat such an arrangement has its advantages from the standpoint of convenience, at the same time it might prove to be a potential source of danger if not locked so that children cannot open the closure member and their fingers encounter the rapidly rotating fan blades.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof closure for the converter port and one which is securely latched under normal .fioor cleaning operation but can be unlatched in the act of inserting the converter fitting.

A preferred embodiment of the port-closure arrangement is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view in side elevation oi a suction cleaner of more or less standard design except for the provision of an upwardly opening converter port located in the top wall of the air passage leading from. the nozzle chamher to the inlet opening to the fan chamber lust below the converter port;

Figure 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of the port closure assembly from'the'underside;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section through the air passage and Just in advance-of the converter port as taken on line 3-3 of Figure l:

Fi ure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showin Figure 5 is also a view similar to Figure 3 showing the converter member in.its fully inserted position; and v Figure 6 is a view in horizontal section through the conduit with the converter member in place, as taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

vThe suction cleaner, as shown in Figure 1, presents a variation of the standard cleaner design characterized by a motor and fan unit rotative about a horizontal transverse axis, the motor and fan being enclosed within a cylindrical 7 housing i forming the central element of the cleaner body. A nozzle 2 extends across the front of the cleaner body and is formed as an The nozzle has integral part of the housing i. the usual downwardly opening suction mouth and the dirt-laden air passing therethrough is conducted to a conduit 3 leading from one end of the nozzle upwardly and rearwardly to the annular inlet-opening or "eye 4 of the fan chamber occupying the adjacent end portion of the cylindrical housing I. The fan 5 is located just beyond the opening 4 and, rotating at a high speed by its motor,creates the suction that draws the dirt-laden air from the nozzle and thence discharges it into the filter bag 6 detachably mounted at the outer end of the rearwardly directed exhaust passage 1 from the fan chamber-r. i

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, the conduit 3, forming the air passage from the nozzle to the fan chamber, is rectangular in cross sectional contour with its vertical dimension somewhat greater than the diameter of the inlet opening 4 to the fan chamber. As preferably designed, the conduit b'ecomes narrower as it approaches the inlet opening with a section along the top cut away as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Therefore, it is necessary to complete the entire upper end section of the conduit by apis reduced in width immediately around the inlet to the fan chamber and that the converter port is actually formed in the top wall of the removable conduit sectionja.

Now, in order to complete the conversion operation, it is necessary to close ed the air passage from the nozzle by inserting a suitable converter fitting through a port 8 located in the top wall of the conduit 3 and across the air passage, at the same time establishing a direct connection through the fitting between the fan chamber and the dusting tool hose.

In the present arrangement, the converter port 8 is located in the top wall of the conduit 3 at a point just above and a little forward of the fan eye 4. The port is rectangular in shape with its longer dimension in the direction of the air passage, in fact, its shorter dimension is approximately one-half the width of the air passage and its innermost edge is almost flush with the end face of the housing I, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The converter fitting 9 is a light metal shell,

rectangular in cross section and uniformly di-- mensioned throughout that portion of its length designed to extend across the air passage within the conduit 3. The portion of the converter member 9 that projects from the port 8 is not shown, although it is suflicient to say that it preferably terminates in a tubular end adapted for connection with the dusting tool hose.

Referring now to the converter port closure member, the same may be described generally as an inwardly swinging. hinged gate member ID normally seating in the port from the underside and held in closed position by a spring latch member which must be pressed out of latching position before it is possible to swing the gate free end bearing against the underside of the gate.

member to hold it in closed position and to constantly oppose its downward swinging movement into open position.

Now, riveted to the end'wall of the housing I rounded cam-like end bearing against the spring latch I4 so that by imparting a slight rocking movement to the lever in a clockwise direction, the latch spring I4 will be pressed against the end wall as clearly shown in Figure 4, thus permitting the hinged closure to swing open as the end of the converter member 9 is pushed down-. wardly into the port. It will be noted in this connection, that the latch spring I4 is preferably seated within a shallow recess Ila in the end wall of the housing. I, thus permitting the spring to assume a position substantially flush with the wall surface when the same has been pressed out of latching position by the lever I5.

Now, as previously explained, the spring latch release lever I5 is actuated by contact with the projecting finger I6 carried at the end of the converter member 9. More definitely, this contact takes place between the fiat pad-like plate I5b of the'release lever through a notch 22 cutin the outer marginal portion of the closure plate Ma and so positioned that it is possible for the contact finger to actuate the release lever and the latter displace the spring latch before the body of the converter member comes into contact with the closure plate.

Thus, once the converter member has properly 1 been presented to the port 8, it is simply a matter of pushing it downwardly therethrough and to the full depth of the passageway below. And. to insure the correct positioning of the converter member a socket 211 is provided in the bottom wall of the conduit to receive the contact pin I5, as shown in Figure 5.

It is also to be noted that after the converter member has been inserted, there still remains immediately below the closure member III is the latch member I4 consisting of a thin strip. of spring steel with its free upper end portion bent outwardly just beneath the inner edge of the plate Illa to hold the same in closed position.

However, pressing the latch member I4 against the wall to which it is attached will release or unlatch the closure member and this operation is actually performed by a spring-actuated release lever I5 mounted on the underside of the plate Illa and adapted to-be actuated by a pin-like projection I6 carried at the end of the converter member 9, to displace -the spring latch I4 just before the converter member is inserted into the converter. port 8.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, this spring latch depressing release lever I5 has pivotal mounting on the underside of the closure plate Ilia, being mounted on one end of a hinge pin I! supported by spaced lugs I8, I8 depending from the underside of the plate. The arm lie of the lever l5 lying immediately below the plate Illa includessupporting the spring latch release lever.

The shorter arm lie of the lever I! projects downwardly from the closure plate "In and has a ample space between it and the'outer wall of the conduit to accommodate the port closure assembly when' swung downwardly and to one side of the path of the converter member 9.

And in further connection with the insertion "of the converter member into converting position, some means for guiding the converter member to its seat is quite desirable. For this purpose the converter member is provided with a channel 9a extending lengthwise throughout its outwardly facing side wall. Likewise, there is formed as an integral part of the hinged closure plate a transversely arranged rib 2| located in direct line with the open end of the channel is when the converter member is presented to the port. Thus, after contact is made with the converter member, the closure plate swings downwardly with the rib 2| sliding in the channel 90, thereby acting as a guide to keep the converter member in the line which ultimately brings the contact finger I6 into the socket 20. as clearly shown in Figure 5.

With this latching arrangement applied to the converter port closure member, it is obvious that it would be quite impossible to open the converter portaccidentally, although obviously it would be possible to do so intentionally by pressing some blunt instrument into contact with the latch spring release lever. However, bearing in mind that the present closure arrangement is intended tobar the exploring fingers of children and other persons not aware of the proximity of retating fan blades, it'is quite apparent that with the contact finger at the end of the converter acting as a key to release the latch, the present closure arrangement will function quite eflectively as a safety device. 1

ment of the invention, I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from ofl-the-floor cleaning operation, the combination of suction-creating means including a motor-driven fan, a nozzle communicating with said suction-creating means through a connecting air passage having a port opening thereinto from the exterior of the cleaner and adapted to receive a converter member, a closure member normally closing said port, latching means normally acting to hold-said closure member in port-closing position, and latch-releasing means forming a part of the converter member and operative in the act of applying said converter member to said port to efiect the opening of said closure member.

2. In a suction cleaner adapted for conver-' sion to and from off-the-fioor cleaning. the com- I bination of suction-creating means including a said suction-creating means through an air pas sage having a port adapted to have a converter member inserted therein, a closure member adapted to swing to and from port-closing position, a-iatch member normally positioned to prevent the movement of said closure member into open position, and a latch-releasing lever carried by said closure member and manually inaccessiblefrom the exterior of said cleaner, said converter member having aleveri-engaging portion insertable through an opening in said closure member to efiect the displacement of said latch member and the openingof said closure member in the act of inserting said converter member into said converter port.

6. In asuction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from ofl-the-floor cleaning, the combination of suction-creating means including a motor-driven fan mounted within a fan chamber in the act of entering the same in said port to displace said latch member and allow. said closure memberto open.

3. In a suction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from ofl-the-floor cleaning opera-.

tion, the combination of a motor-driven fan mounted in a fan chamber. a nozzle communieating with the inlet opening to said fan chamher through an air passage having a port opening thereinto from the exterior of the cleaner adjacent the inlet to the fan chamber and adapted to receive a converter member. a spring-actu- 'ated closure member for said port, a spring latch normally acting to hold said closure member in port-closing position, and latch-releasing means carried by said converter member and operative in the act of inserting said converter member into said port to displace said latch member and permit said closure member to open.

4. In a suction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from oif-the-floor cleaning, the combination of suction-creating means including a motor and fan unit having its axis extending horizontally, a nozzle communicating with the fan chamber of said unit through a conduit having a port adapted to receive a converter member, a hinged spring-actuated closure member for said converter port, latching means normally holding said closure member in-port-closing position, and manually inaccessible latch-releasing means operative by said converter member in the act of inserting the same into said port to dls-' place said latch member and allow member to open.

5. In a suction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from oif-the-floor cleaning, the combination of suction-creating means including a said closure motor-driven fan. a nozzle communicating with ber, a nozzle communicating with the inlet opening to said fan chamber through a conduit havinga port opening thereinto from the exterior thereof adjacent said fan chamber inlet opening and adapted to receive a converter member, a

spring-actuated closure member pivotally mounted inside said conduit and normally closing said port, a resilient latch member mounted inside said conduit and normally acting to hold said closur member in port-closing position, and a latch release lever pivotally mounted on the underside of said closure member and positioned to displace said latch member from latching position when actuated, said converter member having a projecting contact finger at its forward end insertable through an opening in said closure member to actuate said release lever and displace said latch member preparatory to the opening of said closure member by said con-' verter member.

"I. In a suction cleaner adapted for conversion to and from oif-the-floor cleaning. the combination of a motor and fan unit mounted to rotate about a horizontal transverse axis. a nozzle communicating with the inlet opening to the fan chamber of said unit through a conduit having a port in the top wall thereof adjacent said inlet opening and adapted to have a converter member inserted therethrough, a spring-actuated closure member pivotally mounted inside said conduit and normally closing said port, a resilient latch member molmted inside said conduit and normally acting to hold. said closure member in port-closing position, and a latch release lever pivotally mounted on the underside of said closure member and positioned to displace said latch member from latching position when actue ated, said converter member having a contact linger projecting beyond its forward end and insertable through an opening in said closure member and into actuating contact with said release lever to unlatch said closure member in the act of inserting said converter member;

RALPH C OSBORN- 

